Life of a Millionaire
by Attara
Summary: There have been many stories of what Seto Kaiba was in their point of view, but what are the facts really? Well, I've decided to post a story where you, the reviewer, can tell me whether or not my info is accurate! Come read and criticize the bio!
1. A New Three

Attara: Hi, everybody! This is my biography of Seto Kaiba, and I'm trying to do the exact facts, but I might need help, so if I have anything untrue in here, then tell me in a review, please! But I might have to make some things up since I don't have detailed information. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh and in my last fic, I mentioned that in practically every chapter, so this is the only time I'm going to say it for this fic, got that? The only reason I am doing this is because I need to figure out why Seto Kaiba does the things he does, and what better way than write a biography, right? That's why this is going to be in his point of view. ENJOY!! And don't forget to review!

**

A New Three*

**

It doesn't matter what kind of event is happening in a hospital, it will always smell of something you can't exactly pinpoint, but your brain recognizes it, probably because it's usually the first scent that a newborn infant experiences at the beginning of life. I was in the waiting room, waiting for someone to tell me that there would be a new addition to our family.

As if on cue, a nurse in a greenish-blue uniform approached me and silently took my hand as we walked down the white-tiled corridor. She led me directly to the delivery room where I found Father a bit melancholy. He sat next to an empty bed. I was soon interrupted by the wails of none other than a newborn infant brought in by another attendant. My father looked at him with a sad smile.

"Mokuba." He whispered to me. Father's eyes were red from crying. I didn't understand what had happened.

"Where's mother?" I asked.

"She's…she's not going to be with us anymore, Seto." Father said quietly.

I knew exactly what that meant. Mother had died. The thought rang through my head as if it couldn't leave until my sanity was destroyed. My mother had died. There it was, as plain as ever. My mother had died.

Father and I brought the tiny infant home after waiting for the routine 24 hours for the check-ups of the newborn. We were silent on the journey home. Only the coos of my new brother broke the melancholy silence in the car. It was just the three of us now. I looked to my right and watched the small being tire himself to sleep. I remember Mother and Father had been preparing themselves for my brother for several weeks. There, he was lying inside the specialized seat that my parents had been so careful to chose. They had been researching for whether or not it was comfortable, safe, and durable. The memories summoned tears that burned my eyes as each one leaked out of my eye socket. I wiped them away, but to no avail as they perpetually replaced themselves until I could cry no longer.

I was only happy that my brother was oblivious to what happened because of his birth. It would not have been very comforting to know that you were the cause of your mother's death. That would very likely be something that a person would regret for the rest of his life.

The car pulled into the parking lot space that was next to an apartment building. The car gave a slight jolt as it was turned off, and Mokuba woke up from the sudden stop. His eyes shifted to look at me. He seemed to smile, although I had read somewhere that babies don't develop the muscles for it after being a day old. I shrugged and opened the car door. Father had already lifted Mokuba from the car seat and handed me the keys.

"Seto, could you open the door?" He asked gruffly.

I nodded and followed the path that led to the apartment building's front door. I shoved the keys into the specified area. The door opened automatically and I held it open for my family to come. Mokuba had gone back to sleep and Father quietly entered the building. Then, I rushed toward the elevator and waited for them once more. I had decided that I needed to be as helpful as possible since it was going to be tough for us to get through these times. I heard Father talking to the receptionist at the desk. She chatted cheerfully and congratulated us for Mokuba. Father muttered a simple "yes" and hurried off before she would trap him into another long conversation.

I pushed the button that brought us to the floor our room was located. The doors closed only to be opened once again after the ring of the bell that signified our arrival. We stepped out of the enclosed room. I stayed close to Father now and watched Mokuba's chest rise and fall with every breath that filled his lungs. The long corridor was carpeted with a dirty, blue matting that had collected the smell of everything that had been in contact with it. The walls were painted white and every twenty feet there would be a brown, wooden door with a number on it. After the fifth door to our right, I inserted the key into the hole and leaned my body against it with a shove.

Mokuba stirred slightly as Father had placed him into his crib.

"It's just the three of us now." My father whispered.

"A new three." I replied, realizing that the number of our family members had never changed.

"Yes…a new three."

Attara: First, sorry it was so short, but I had to make it short just in case I was doing something wrong, and then _working_ with it! After all, I don't want to build a whole chapter on something _inaccurate_! Okay, so was that accurate or was it so far off that this should be posted on fictionpress.net? If there is any information you can give me, please tell me in a review and I will immediately change the chapter, okay? I am just doing this for the facts, so I would greatly appreciate it if you would help! Thanks!

*Title suggested by Penny: Angel of Darkness. Great idea! 


	2. Silent Pact

Attara: Hi, again! This part of my chapter is going to be much more made up than any other part since the shows I watch don't go into it at all, but I watch the dubbed versions in English, so it doesn't go into detail about anything! Ugh, we are so deprived! Well, enjoy and don't forget to look for mistakes!

**

Silent Pact*

**

Mokuba was a very complacent infant. He rarely cried and seemed to take a liking of me. Often, when Father could not comfort him, I would easily have him quieted. I felt important when I was the only one who could ease Mokuba's pain.

I had only been five years old when my brother was born and when my mother had passed on. Life was going to be much harder than before, I knew that at my age. Father had lost that sense of animation in his eyes on that day. He had mostly kept quiet about anything and everything, only filling the physical part of being a parent. A part of us had died on that hospital bed when a part of us was added from the exact place. But there was no time to drown in self-pity for now. Father and I had a child to take care of. We had to make sure that through the darkened days, there was only joy for him, and for that to be executed, we had to make sacrifices.

When I had crawled under the covers of my bed the night we brought Mokuba home, the door opened slightly, and a beam of light shone through the cracks. 

"Seto, I know that you have always looked forward to going to school, but I fear that it shall be postponed." Father had whispered to me through the crack.

I nodded, "Yes, Father, of course." 

"Thank you, my son." He left. 

"You're welcome." I murmured. 

I awoke to the sounds of a hungry infant. It was just a couple of hours after midnight then. I rushed to the crib and found father attempting to feed him, but in vain. 

"Father, may I try?" I offered.

My frustrated father placed the newborn into my arms. The cries stopped immediately. I eagerly fed him the formula. The bottle was gently tipped toward his tiny mouth and the white fluid slowly emptied into the infant's throat. It would then flow down the esophagus and into his stomach. This was his first meal at home, and I had presented it to him. From then on, I knew that Mokuba and I had a bond that could never be broken, not even through death.

Father looked at me with a slight smile, the first smile that he had ever made since the death of Mother. I could tell his face was glowing with pride. We were going to go through this until the end. Both of us were going to protect Mokuba with our lives as Mother had sacrificed hers. That was the pact, a silent one that was formed that day. Mokuba was going to be our last chance of innocence, and I intended to have that small beam of hope flourish.

Attara: Okay, that was really short, and I thought that it was dumb. Nothing really happened except for the fact that Mokuba was fed… Yes, it was stupid, but don't worry, I'll have the next chapter posted sooner than usual since I have to make up for this idiotic one, all right? Also, I need to have some information about every single episode with Seto Kaiba in it. He doesn't really talk much, so that shouldn't be too hard. I've decided to stop the biography at the point where…actually, I don't know. Maybe the readers could vote on it or something? I don't care if it's more or less work, so don't worry about giving me too much work, for example, making me update for every episode until the series is over. Actually, I wouldn't mind, but I just want you to tell me where, okay? And don't forget to give me quotes of Kaiba, especially when he was in the orphanage, that is, if you can. Any help is greatly appreciated!

*Edited on April 10, 2003 at 10:16PM EST with help of Blue Eyes Demon. Thanks! 


	3. Five Years

Attara: See? I told you I'd be back sooner than usual! Well, I have nothing to say except, ENJOY!

**Five Years**

The three of us had gotten along pretty well. It was five years of almost-happiness. Yes, there were times of merriment, but we weren't completely jovial. No, in order for us to have perfect bliss was for Mother to come home again. Even after all of that time of her absence, I would expect her to awake me in the morning, to smell her light perfume, or to have her gentle voice creep into the lonely house, but it would always be the cries of Mokuba or the gentle shaking of my father. It never was Mother and it never will be.

Mokuba had slowly gained the strength to sit, then crawl, and finally, to walk. Parents have always said that children grow up so fast, and I now realized that it was true. All too soon, Mokuba was five years old and speaking coherently. I was in fifth grade. We were just recovering from our loss. Losing someone as close as a mother and wife takes time to heal. Then, it happened.

The wounds from the previous damage had not fully healed. I remember that Father had to go somewhere when it happened... I should have gone with him, but no, I didn't want to leave Mokuba by himself that day. No, Father and I had a vow that must be kept. Mokuba was too young to know what was going on. Mokuba was protected from the problems of the outside world. We had accidentally forced him to develop a naïveté; we had forced him to live a sheltered life out of our want of his protection. That was a fatal mistake.

A man pounded at our door that day. I peered through the peephole and found him. I held my breath, hoping that he didn't hear me. He was extremely tall, and each knock felt like a strike of a sledgehammer. He seemed to be of authority, but I couldn't risk anything that could happen to our home. I knew something had happened, but I would not leave our home vulnerable to a stranger.

"I can hear your movements." The man's booming voice slipped through the cracks of the door. "I know that you do not know me, but I have some news...some news of your father."

He gave a short pause.

"But you need to open the door in order for me to tell you what has happened."

He waited for the click of the lock, but when he realized that I hadn't even moved, I could see a slight smile dawning on his face.

Then, he pulled out his wallet and flashed a police badge in front of the eyehole. I hesitated for a moment.

"You can come in." I unlatched the lock and opened the door. "What happened to Father?"

"Ah, straight to business. Well, I'm sorry to say, but there has been...an accident." He sat down in a chair and stared solemnly into my eyes.

"What kind of accident!" My eyes widened.

No, Father would never break the promise...would he?

"Your father..." He scratched his head nervously.

"Yes?"

"Your father has...passed on."

My eyes were brimming with tears, but I blinked them back. I would never show my weakness in front of a stranger. No, never.

"What happened?" My voice cracked.

"Well, there was a drunken driver that had sped through a red light. Unfortunately, he has not been identified..."

"And Father is dead?"

My voice was now composed in my questions. He closed his eyes and massaged his temple.

"It's Seto, isn't it?"--I managed to nod before he continued-- "Listen, Seto, I know this is going to be hard for you, but you, Mokuba, and your mother will get through this."

I gazed at the table.

"Mother had died five years ago."

The man's eyes suddenly showed sympathy and compassion.

"Oh-I'm so sorry..."

"No, it's fine...no, actually. Where are we supposed to go?"

"Your father has a will that ordered you to be sent to these relatives."

"What about Mokuba?"

"Of course he'll come with you."

"And when will this happen?"

"Tomorrow."

I thought about the situation. As long as I have Mokuba, it'll be okay.

"Very well, then. Now, if you don't mind, I need to start packing..."

"...and you want me to leave?"

He smiled sadly and exited the room.

"One of a kind..." I heard him say as I closed the door behind him.

Attara: How was that? I know that was short as well, but what do you expect from someone who watches the stupid dubbed versions? Also, I want to know everything about Noah Kaiba, since he was a minor part of Seto's life. By the way, didn't Seto Kaiba have to go to a couple of homes before going to an orphanage? Well, I need confirmation or something so I wouldn't publish the wrong thing, okay? Don't forget to give me some quotes, any quotes! Oh yeah, how long did Gozaburo Kaiba have to keep Mokuba and Seto before he died? Thanks!

Edited on April 21, 2003 at 8:05PM EST with help of Blue Eyes Demon. Thanks!


	4. New Homes

Attara: I need quotes! Do you want this to be accurate or not?! Oh well, I guess I'll have to deal with it… By the way, this chapter's going to be inaccurate, too, since all the series said was that Seto Kaiba and Mokuba were sent to relatives' houses, and that's pretty vague. If anyone has some straightforward information, please tell me!

**

New Homes

**

"Come on, Mokuba, we're going in fifteen minutes." I told my dark-haired brother.

"I know that, Seto, but why?" He whined.

"Because…Father's not going to be with us anymore."

"I don't understand, Seto…"

"Don't worry about it, Mokuba. Just pack faster. Look, I'll even help you."

I grabbed at random things and shoved them into a large bag. Toothbrushes, clothes, towels, blankets, etc.

"Looks like Auntie will have to pick up the rest of the things by herself." I commented as I looked around the crowded room.

"How long are we going to be there?" Mokuba asked.

"I'm not sure…"

A honking sound came from the streets.

"That's the cab. Come on, Mokuba!" I grabbed both of our bags and rushed my brother out of the apartment. "Keys!"

"Don't worry, Seto, I have them." Mokuba held up the jingling keys and locked the door.

"I get to press the button!" 

Mokuba rushed towards the elevator.

"Goodbye, home." I whispered to the locked door.

I ran towards the opened doors of the elevator, but not forgetting to take in one last deep breath to remember the scent of the carpet forever.

"Mokuba, press 1." I told the brown-eyed boy standing next to me.

The floor started to move downward and came to an abrupt stop in several seconds. I touched the elevator walls, my eyes absorbing as much detail as possible. The predictable ring of the bell led to the opening of the doors. The cab driver greeted us at the main entrance and carried our luggage into the trunk of the bright yellow taxi.

Blurs of color swept by the window as we headed toward an area of the city that was quite unfamiliar to me. We came to a street that had many townhouses lined up. Each one looked exactly the same as the one next to it. The cab driver pulled up into a driveway and honked to summon the people from the house.

Two adults greeted the motorist and handed him some money. Then, he opened the trunk and the couple carried the bags into the house.

"Come, Mokuba and Seto." The male called on his way in.

I opened the door and helped Mokuba out of the car.

"So this is it?" He asked.

"I guess so." I answered back.

The taxi driver had drove away as we trudged along the cemented path and finally entered the doorway. The wooden floors were rotting and the walls smelled of cigarette smoke. It was obvious that these people were having money problems. The two adults greeted us with frowns and incoherent welcomes.

"Should we unpack?!" I asked the man who had called us in.

"No, that's not necessary." He responded.

I glanced at Mokuba. What was going on? How could we live here if we didn't unpack?

The female handed Mokuba and me a snack. Crackers, I think. Barely after Mokuba stuffed the last one into his mouth when the man grabbed our luggage and threw them into their own car.

"Let's go, kids." He muttered.

Showing compliance, we entered the black car.

"Where are we going?" Mokuba asked.

"You'll see." The lady answered shortly, not bothering to even look at us while she talked.

The man retraced the cab's steps and dropped us off at a tall, melancholy building.

"Here's your new home." The man said and shoved our bags into our hands. "Enjoy."

The two drove away. I stared at the car as it slowly descended down the slight slope in the street. 

We were in the Domino City Orphanage. *I grabbed Mokuba's hand as we stared at the towering building.

"I'm scared, Seto." Mokuba said.

"So am I Mokuba, so am I…" I held onto his hand tighter.

Attara: Okay, I'm absolutely sure that there's a quote that's supposed to be in the last sentence somewhere, so, if you have any idea what Seto said to Mokuba, please tell me as soon as possible! Oh, and sorry about not updating quickly. I've decided to end the fic after the first appearance of him in the dubbed series. Thanks, bye! ^_^

*Edited on April 30, 2003 at 3: 06PM EST with help of Shannon. Thanks!


	5. Despised Confrontation

Attara: Okay, now, I'm going to have to rely on all of you for this chapter since I can't catch any of those flashbacks about Seto and Mokuba on the television series. Sorry I didn't update for a while. I was busy working on the other fic, although it might be a while from now… Oh well, let's just start, shall we?

**

Despised Confrontation

**

This was not the stereotypical orphanage. The government had funded it generously, and the orphans lived healthily in its conditions. But it was killing us, my brother and me. It stifled Mokuba, and it stifled me. Yes, the wardens were fairly kind, but it just wasn't…freedom, you know? At least we could have endured the sudden loss of our parents, but then _they_ had to come. Those bullies, how I detest them. They have no self-esteem whatsoever. I should have killed them when I had confronted them. I remember exactly what they said.

"Aw…does the baby need a diaper?" I heard someone say a couple of weeks after we were officially registered as orphans.

I peeked around the corner. Who were they talking to?

"Yeah." A different kid sneered.

Mokuba! I found Mokuba crying in front of those three despicable ten-year-olds. Enraged, I jumped in front of my little brother.

"Why don't you guys try picking on me?!" I roared.

They narrowed their eyes and cackled. The one who I had heard first seemed to be the leader.

"Look, there's a puny kid who thinks he has the guts to fight us!" He pointed at me and started to laugh even harder.

This was met by more laughter from the other two.

"Stay away from Mokuba, or you'll regret it!" I threatened them.

"Ha, did you hear that?" The leader managed to say in between gasps of air.

"What's that scrawny kid going to do?" The other two laughed.

"Mokuba, stay away." I turned around to check on my brother.

He nodded and took several steps backward, sniffling quietly as he was doing so.

I jumped closer to them and kicked the leader in the shins. Then, I punched the other in the face and elbowed the third in the stomach. The leader was the first to recover.

"You little idiot! I swear you'll regret this for as long as you live! Come on, guys, let's go." He waved his arm as a gesture for the other two to follow.

After watching them disappear from my sight, I turned around to face my younger brother.

"Mokuba, are you all right?" I walked over to him.

He smiled, "Yeah, Seto, I'm all right."

He must have stopped crying several minutes earlier since the tears were replaced with a broad grin. He was glowing with pride, and that made everything worthwhile.

"What happened here?!" An adult towered over us seconds later. "Seto, did you hit another child?"

I didn't say anything and averted my eyes to the earth beneath my feet.

"Seto, answer me." She demanded.

"Yes." I muttered.

"Why did you do it?"

"They were picking on Mokuba."

The caretaker softened.

"Seto, you know that violence isn't the answer." She repeated a sentence that I had heard so many times before.

"Yes, Ms. Emi." I nodded.

I felt her stern look on my lowered head.

"Promise me that you won't do it again." She whispered.

I nodded.

"All right, then."

I watched her feet disappear from my frame of vision of the dirt-covered ground. I slowly looked up. She had left? I glanced at Mokuba. He had a big smile on his face.

"My big brother can do anything!" He laughed and fell into me.

I hugged him.

"Come on, Mokuba, let's go inside." I took his hand before any more trouble could stir in the playground.

News always travels fast around here. I had felt the other kids stare at us; I could feel their eyes practically burning a hole in our backs, but I ignored them. From then on, they should know to never mess with my brother, or they'd have to face me, and I would never show any mercy. I had to keep a promise for my parents, and I wasn't intending on disappointing them.

Attara: -_-' Okay, yes, that was short… I know, I know, I made you wait so long for a stupid chapter like that… I'm so sorry. If there were supposed to be more quotes for that chapter, please let me know as soon as possible. By the way, can anyone give me any details about that picture of Mokuba and Seto playing chess? That would help me _a lot_. Thanks!


	6. Inseparable

Attara: Well, finals are coming up and everything, so don't expect a fast update to happen until summer starts, but I have to go to a school during the summer, too. And, no, I did not fail anything... In fact, I'm an honor roll student, so don't you dare think that I'm stupid! Well, enough of this, let's start the fic!

**

Inseparable

**

Lately, I had been encouraged to take a lot of tests in school, most of which concerning computer programming. Soon, it became my favorite subject, and the wardens of the orphanage seemed to be excited that I had achieved intelligence higher than normal in a subject that seemed to be destined to grow extremely popular in the future.

Several times, I even hacked into their database without them knowing. At first, it seemed to be a challenge, but soon, I mastered the ability to penetrate electronic defense systems and crack security codes in record time. Of course, I never was caught by anyone.

I had just come out of the computer room, doing some…"research."

"Seto, there's someone here to see you." Ms. Emi approached me with a broad smile one day.

Since she was smiling, I knew that I was not in any trouble. I nodded and followed her, expecting to find something incredible awaiting Mokuba and I. The twists and turns in the building led us to the main office, the one where a lot of kids entered and never returned to the orphanage ever again. Maybe they were adopted? I felt my heart lighten at the thought of freedom for Mokuba and me. We might be able to escape from this wretched place!

Ms. Emi opened the door to let me through. I was brought to a couple. I would estimate that they were middle-aged and happily married from the way they held each other's hands. I turned away. They reminded me of a fading memory of my parents.

"Seto, these nice people would like to adopt you." Ms. Emi introduced them in her calm tone.

"And Mokuba?" I asked immediately, not believing what my ears had just heard.

She looked uncomfortable.

"Seto, is it?" The female of the couple spoke up and waited for me to nod. When I didn't, she continued. "You are an exceptionally brilliant child, a genius, in fact. I'm sure you can understand if your br-"

"I'm not going anywhere without Mokuba!" I interrupted her.

In my peripheral vision, I saw Ms. Emi frown.

"I-I apologize, Mr. and Mrs. Mizumi. We can not force the orphans to go with families who have not been 'approved' by them." Ms. Emi stammered. "Seto, you may leave."

I strode out of the room as fast as I could. I then heard Ms. Emi refer to another boy. He was the smartest kid in the orphanage, next to me. I didn't care if he could regain his freedom while I had to remain in this prison. I had Mokuba, and that was all that I needed.

"Come now, children, let's all wave good-bye to Nanashi." Ms. Emi announced to the playground.

Nobody bothered to stir. Her mouth closed tightly. I could tell that she was glad Nanashi was to be adopted. She realized that he was a social outcast and should have been the first choice for the Mizumi couple, but they _had_ asked for the smartest kid here…

"Ms. Emi, can Seto and I go?" Mokuba offered quietly.

I glanced at him, surprised at the gesture. No one had ever bothered to socialize with Nanashi, and now Mokuba wanted to be the one to give him a farewell? I shrugged. What harm could come of this? We ran out to the front and watched Nanashi step into the car. I grabbed Mokuba's hand.

"I heard about it. That could have been you, Seto." He whispered to me.

"Nothing is going to separate us, Mokuba." I replied confidently.

We headed back in. I could feel the renewed faith Mokuba had in me now, but I hoped that one day, we would be able to escape from this place and live a life of love and happiness. Although we were just a little contented then, all we had to do was wait a little while longer…

Attara: Yes, another extremely short chapter. I'm _really_ sorry, but I didn't know what happened when Gozaburo Kaiba decided to come and adopt Seto, except for the fact that they played a game of chess, and sort of bet their lives on it. Oh, and KarribuHater59, thanks so much for the quotes! But can anyone tell me when Mokuba said in those last few quotes in the review? I know it was after the chess game, but what exactly happened? Thanks so much if you can answer it! Oh, and I've decided to try to update every Friday from now and on, so I'll be seeing you next week!


	7. A Game of Life

Attara: As I promised, there is going to be a fic every Friday, but this chapter is terrible since I made the whole thing up today, which is pretty bad since I usually take my time organizing my thoughts and whatnot. I still haven't got any reply from anybody on what time Mokuba said those quotes, so I'm just going to stick them in the chapter and hope that they are accurate. Bye!

**

A Game of Life

**

Mokuba and I…we will always be brothers. Several more couples had tried to tear us apart, but I refused every time. Ingenuity was my gift and my weakness. We had to wait, we had to wait for the one who would take us both. All or nothing…

"Gozaburo Kaiba is coming!" Rumors spread throughout the orphanage a year after we were registered as orphans.

Gozaburo Kaiba was the owner of Kaiba Corporations and a renowned six-time champion of chess, my favorite game. I had played with others, and would win every time, but it wasn't competitive, and we had fun. I can remember the laughter if I close my eyes and concentrate. Sometimes, the wardens would watch the games, and hope that some other child would be able to defeat me, so they could claim that new champion to be the smartest kid, so they could convince a parent to try to adopt another child instead of me. There never was one.

He was coming to the orphanage but not intending to adopt a child. It didn't matter to me. His friend had brought him there, probably for some sort of public appearance for his company. I didn't care. Mokuba didn't, either.

Then, I saw him. He was a large man, and his dark eyes reflected the sadness in his soul. I remembered that he had just recently lost his son, Noah, I think. He looked around, observing the other orphans in the playground, and then he went inside. I was sitting across from Mokuba, playing chess and laughing at the same time, but it all stopped the moment his cold presence entered the room.

"Playing chess, eh?" He snorted.

"Yes." I answered.

"You good?"

"Of course, my brother's the best chess player in the world!" Mokuba responded for me.

"The best, eh? I highly doubt that claim."

I narrowed my eyes. "Care to play a game of chess?"

He snorted, "I could defeat you in an instant!"

"Well, then, there's nothing to lose."

"What do I get out of it?"

"You'll be known as the champion chess player."

"I already am."

"But everyone will know that when an eleven-year-old challenged you to a match, you refused."

"And how would they know?"

I looked around at the crowd of people surrounding us.

"News travels fast around here." I answered shortly.

He scoffed, "All right, then what do _you_ get out of this?"

I looked at Mokuba and winked at him.

"You have to adopt us, then." I replied after a moment.

"All right." He replied without giving any thought.

I walked over to the table and sat down. I arranged the pieces on the board.

"I'll be black." He turned that side of the board toward him.

I began the game and moved my knight in front of my pawn. After just a couple of minutes, he captured my queen, rooks, bishops, knights, and all but one pawn. He had a knight. It was my turn, and my pawn was slowly but surely advancing to the opposite side, protected by my king.

"Queen." I called when it finally reached the black block on the edge.

He reluctantly reached for the captured piece and replaced the pawn with it.

After several more moves…

"Checkmate." I muttered quietly, my brain thoroughly exhausted.

He stared at the board for several minutes with his index finger over his mouth. He nodded and walked out of the room.

"If Brother didn't beat Gozaburo...at that moment...the smile on Brother's face wouldn't disappear, then..."* Mokuba started mumbling to himself, thinking that I had not heard.

"I'm sorry, Mokuba…" I whispered.

"Big brother, I'll always be there by your side!"*

I nodded, "That's what makes it all worthwhile."

Ms. Emi entered the room with a large smile.

"Seto, Gozaburo Kaiba has asked to adopt the two of you." She told me.

I nodded, "Yes, we'll go."

Attara: So what do you think? Did I stick in the quotes in the right places? Tell me if it's wrong! Next Friday will not have an update since I have finals! AHHH!!! I got straight B's on my midterms, and that really brought down my GPA. Ugh, I can't believe this! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Oh, and does anyone know what a person says when one wants to trade a pawn for another piece? I just made Seto say "queen" because I didn't know what the official word/phrase was…

*Quotes contributed by KarribuHater59, and edited with the help of Shannonson on June 6, 2003. Thanks!


	8. Training

Attara: Finals are over! YAY!! No more school…until…next week…-_-' Never mind, let's just start, shall we? Oh, and I'm not sure whether or not Gozaburo abused Seto, so I'm just going to assume that he does and wait for some of the reviewers to tell me otherwise, all right? ^_^ Enjoy!

**

Training

**

"How many times do I have to tell you that emotions are futile?!" He asked an obviously rhetorical question.

I bit my lip to restrain the tears as I held my hurting stomach. I refused to show any emotion in front of anybody, especially _him_. He disgusted me more than anyone else. I looked down at my blue shirt and found the dirty footprint marked on it. We had only started to live here with Gozburo for a week, and already he was "disciplining" me, but I made sure that he did not touch Mokuba, or he would seriously regret it.

He slapped me across the face.

"Hey, answer me when I'm talking to you!" He roared. "Now, start studying."

He threw a book at me. I stared at it, too angry to move and to give him the satisfaction of obedience.

"Start studying!" He kicked my leg.

I almost moaned in pain, almost. I grabbed my injured leg, trying to ignore the ache that now spread over my entire body. It was both a mental _and_ physical pain.

He scoffed, "All right, if you're going to be that way…" He withdrew a cell phone from his pocket and pressed several numbers, "Find Mokuba." He instructed several of his associates.

"No!" I grabbed the book at my feet and looked up at him with cold eyes as he dropped the phone back into his pocket. "Tell them to stay away from my brother."

He narrowed his eyes, "The sooner you finish the book, the sooner I'll call them off."

He left the room before I could reply. I slid down to the floor and held my head. I realized then that the only way to get the life that Mokuba deserved was for me to survive this, to survive _him_. It didn't matter whether or not _I _was suffering, just as long as Mokuba would reap the fruits of…this. I opened the book and scanned the pages of the book on technology. It had been a couple thousand pages long, but I was determined to complete it, for Mokuba, not for him.

"Done?" He growled as he stormed into my bare room the next day.

I nodded and angrily threw the book at him. _He_ was the one that stopped me from getting my full eight hours of rest that night. I had spent the entire day finishing that book, skimming over all the frivolous information and trying to memorize the important ones. I expected him to hit me for my bold move, but all he did was catch it and grin.

"That's it…" He prodded. "Always take revenge on your opponents."

I raised an eyebrow and looked up into his brown eyes. That was a strange reaction…

He flipped open his cell phone and called off the guards, but I knew that they never would have found him. I could hear Mokuba's breathing under the bed, but Gozaburo didn't, and I was grateful for that. He had told me that emotions were obscene, and that it was useless to try to protect loved ones, that they were weaknesses that would one day destroy me, but I ignored him. I knew Gozaburo had his own son, and he died. I knew that was the reason why he was pushing me so hard, because I saw him, Noah, once in a picture in my room, Noah's former room. Mokuba had even commented on our similarities. Gozaburo wasn't training me, Seto, but he was training Noah, his own son, his own flesh and blood, not some orphan that he adopted. He never called me by my first name, always "Kaiba" and nothing more. It was his way of avoiding the reality of the death of his son, and I knew it. I used it to gain his good side at times, making sure that everything he owned was in my inheritance. Only a person from the Kaiba family could be the heir to the "empire" that Gozaburo created, and I was the next in line. With all of his assets, I could give Mokuba the life that he deserved, the one that he needed. That was all that kept me going, surviving the cuts, bruises, abuse.

"Go to the study." He ordered me.

I remembered that he desired to improve my abilities, but only mentally. What he didn't know was that I was training myself to survive in this world. I went to the gym everyday, pushing myself to the limits of my human body. One day, in the near future, I will take what's ours. One day…

Attara: O_O Can anyone say MURDER?! Yipees, I'm turning Seto into a homicidal maniac! Ah, well, it's all the same to me, anyway. Well, what do you think? Should I make Seto push Gozaburo out the window, or do you want me to let Gozaburo die of a heart attack from the threat? Choose, or the next chapter will be delayed! Why? First, because I'm going to summer school, and I don't have that much time to think it over, and second, because I just don't feel like making a decision on these things. Oh, and does anything happen in between the adoption and Gozaburo's death? I feel like I'm missing something important before I kill him off, and since you, the reviewer, probably know more about these things than I do, please tell me if I'm missing anything! Thanks, and I'll see you next Friday, if I get any responses!


	9. Sweet Revenge

Attara: Sorry, sorry, sorry! I completely forgot that it was Friday last week! *sigh* I just had too much homework to get to the computer. All I could do was check my e-mail, and then I had to get off to finish my stupid 433-page book, _Jane Eyre_, in four days! The summer academy (not school, even if I _did_ say that last week…) pushes all of its students to the limit! I couldn't do anything but read for the entire day! *roar* Oh well, I'll just start the chapter because nobody probably would want to listen to my problems when a person has his or her own to deal with. Oh, and by the way, everybody who voted wanted to have Seto kill Gozaburo! Yeah! Gore! Well, actually, I'm not descriptive…at all… Yeah, it's a G-rated fic, remember?

**

Sweet Revenge

**

"How many times do I have to tell you-" Gozaburo pulled the rope tighter around my wrists "-that you have to overcome your greatest weakness?"

His breath was labored as I had already managed to tire him out by struggling, but I had exhausted myself as well, so I couldn't help being tied to a desk at this moment.

"Well, if you won't obey my orders…"

He pulled out a whip, a long, leather whip, and gripped it tightly with his right hand.

"You're going to have to learn the hard way, aren't you?"

He pulled up my shirt and mercilessly lashed at my bare skin. The scars of the previous "disciplinary actions" were still visible, and some not-yet-healed wounds were being reopened. I snapped my eyes shut. It was impossible for me to see my own body being abused, but the shocking pain that spread throughout my entire body made up for that.

Suddenly, he stopped and I heard the door shut. I barely opened my eyes, thinking that this was too good to be true, that he was finally not hurting me in some other sadistic way he could invent in that twisted mind of his.*

"Seto?" I heard my brother whisper in a scared tone.

"Mokuba? How long were you here?!" I struggled to turn my face into his direction, ignoring the agony that came with readjusting my body to suit my goal.

"Seto, are you all right?" He ignored my question.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just get me out of here." I tugged on the ropes.

My brother quickly untied me and frowned. Trickles of tears ran down his face as he touched my hands lightly.

"Seto, why did he do this?" He asked me.

"I just couldn't—never mind, don't worry about it, Mokuba." I rubbed my wrists to get the blood flowing again.

At that moment, I noticed a red mark on his face. I grabbed my brother, his entire body shaking from my trembling hands.

"Mokuba, did he touch you?" I practically yelled in his face.

At first, I sensed a fear sweep over my younger brothers soul, and after hesitating for several seconds, he finally answered.

"He-he just hit me because I was crying—crying to make him stop hurting you." Mokuba quivered.

"And he hurt _you_?!"

Mokuba nodded, now allowing the tears flow freely from his eyes.

"Mokuba, you stay right here, I'll be right back." I spoke in a raspy whisper.

He nodded again, afraid that if he spoke, he would start sobbing.

"Don't worry, it'll be better for us for now and on. You won't have to worry about _him_ anymore."

I left the room quietly, still hearing Mokuba's small sighs as I headed out into the hallway.

I came upon a large mahogany-colored door. I stormed into the office. I felt the anger surge to an extreme level; I could feel my face heat up.

I found him sitting at his desk as he filled out forms. He hadn't looked up to see who had entered the room, and that only angered me further.

"Gozaburo! How dare you hurt Mokuba?" I spoke in a tone that surprised even me with its calm and icy manner.

"Hm, and now you're angry? That's a laugh!" He taunted without even bothering to turn from his work.

"Never touch Mokuba."

"Or else what?"

"Or else you'll regret it."

"For the rest of my life?"

"No, you won't have one."

Either he finally came in eye contact with me because of the threat or that he heard my anger, I would never know.

I looked behind him. The window was closed to keep the air conditioning inside. That didn't matter, it'd just give him a bit more pain just seconds before what I call revenge.

I rushed at him. That was probably the only action I knew was right. I didn't care about the consequences. All that mattered was that he would die, and I could feel the months of training in the gym kick in at that moment. I shoved him with all of the strength my body could offer, and I heard the glass crack, then shatter just a couple of inches before me. For the rest, I just allowed Gravity to take over. 

And through all of this, he did not utter a single word, not a scream, not even a breath.

And that's when I realized that I was rich.

Attara: So how was that?! Good? Bad? Mediocre? This chapter was a tiny bit longer than the others, and I'll try to update as soon as possible next time since I can't exactly guarantee that I will get the tenth chapter by Friday. The only reason I got this in this Friday was because it's Independence Day! Yup, we actually do get day-offs! Don't worry, my faithful and loyal readers (yeah, you're all dogs, every one of you! Um, that's supposed to be a compliment…), after August fourteenth, it'll all be over, and everything will continue as scheduled, that is, if the fic lasts that long… Well, see you people later now!

*Information contributed by Lilly of the Vale. Thanks!


	10. Aftermath

Attara: Ooh…it's been almost a month, hasn't it? I'm sorry to keep all of you waiting, it's been hectic these couple of weeks. I forgot that I had to do a slavery brief for a club I'm in, and there's still _more_ homework with my summer sch-er…academy…yeah…academy…cough. ^_^ Don't worry, it's just going to be two more weeks, and then it'll all go away! YEAH! Well, anyway, let's continue with the fic. Oh, and correct me if some of the information in here is inaccurate, or contradicts some other statement that the animé/manga says.

**

Aftermath

**

That burning hatred that I had for Gozaburo had dissipated just days after his death. He was gone from our lives, and I came to a satisfied state.

I was the CEO of KaibaCorp., and that was all that mattered. Now, Mokuba could be under _my_ custody. I had a steady job, and the social workers hadn't discovered any sort of abuse that would make them doubtful of my responsibility. Life was good, and no one even suspected that I had done anything. It apparently was just assumed that he had a heart attack and fell out of the window. Apparently, no one questioned the amount of force needed to break through the glass. To them, Mokuba and I were eternally grateful for his kindness and benevolence.

Now that he was gone, though, I was pulled into the world of Duel Monsters, a game of cards and cunning. Seeing as how KaibaCorp. was not directly connected with the game, however, (being originally created for manufacturing weapons and extremely advanced technology) I decided to convert it to a Duel Monsters accessory company.* After all, I could see how this technology could be used for a game that civilians would use, obviously a much higher percentage than those who would purchase weapons. I soon decided to learn the rules and the objectives. I had become the regional champion immediately. Then, I played in the nationals, won, and soon survived as the victor of the internationals. Life was improving exponentially.

Several months after Gozaburo had fell into that eternal sleep on the concrete pavement, I had found an article posted on a window of the company's main building, as well as Kaiba Land:

"A couple of years ago, the magnanimous benefactor, Gozaburo Kaiba, adopted not one, but two orphans, Seto and Mokuba. Having recently grieved over his own son's death, he decided to give the paternal affection that so many other parentless children could never experience. Through the goodness of his heart, he descended upon them with his wealth and love and bestowed upon them a life the two boys otherwise could never have imagined.

"However, this blissful state could not perpetuate throughout the years: the esteemed and venerated CEO of KaibaCorp. had received a fatal heart attack one day when he was working tirelessly in his office. The two orphaned boys were fatherless once more. Seto, the older of the two, had immediately held a funeral for the late CEO, paying the due respects to the deceased. Many present have even claimed that they could perceive tears travelling freely down his face. It truly was a state of mourning for all of Domino City.

"As many readers know, Duel Monsters, invented by Pegasus J. Crawford has become one of the most popular games in the world. Also, as many readers also know, Seto is the international champion of this strategically complex game. And now, just barely recovering from the immense loss, Seto Kaiba has taken over his father's company, while keeping the custody of Mokuba. Are these the early signs of another Gozaburo?"

I smirked. Surely these articles would deter any suspicion toward me for the death of my "magnanimous benefactor." These reporters have only endorsed my image to the public eye as they had heightened Gozaburo's appearance to the level of a saint. It disgusted and pleased me at the same time.

The teachers at school paid more attention to me, displayed more sympathy on my behalf. Some teenage girls even attempted to mollify an already calm person. It disgusted me even more than that article had. What right did they think they have for even looking at me? I wanted nothing to do with them. My world was Duel Monsters, KaibaCorp., and Mokuba alone. School was completely useless: I already had a job, was a multi-millionaire, and was already more experienced than a lot of professionals in the only field I preferred, computer programming.

However, there was one kid who was unique in my mind…

Attara: All right, how was that? PLEASE tell me whether or not it was accurate because I made up the entire thing! Thanks!

*Edited on November 8, 2003 at 2:56 EST with help of greeneyeswhitedragon. Thanks! 


	11. A Rival

Attara: Hola, people! It's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry about that, but school was a lot harder than I thought it was. Also, I got a review that said that Gozaburo never fell out a window, but I'm pretty sure I read that in a lot of places. If it's wrong, however, then could some more of you tell me just so I could be sure!

**A Rival**

I was the best duelist in the world, and I already had three cards of one of the rarest monsters in the world: the Blue Eyes White Dragon. I treasured these cards, but I wasn't fully satisfied. No, of course not. Someone or something always has to restrict me to the confinement of longing.

I saw _him_ everyday. He was intelligent, yes, he was. He was always surrounded by his coterie of dim-witted friends, none of whom deserved any sort of recognition in my eyes. They engaged in various amusements, including my favorite: Duel Monsters. It was pathetic how _he_ could defeat any of them in an instant. I, of course, knew that I would shatter his spirit when I would confront him with _my _mental prowess. But now is not the time for that. No…I must wait until something of significance can be won.

I was CEO of a company, and being CEO of a company meant working on something. I set my sights on making the Duel Monsters game less primitive. These pathetic cards left everything to the imagination. I was going to make these pictures real, life-like three-dimensional holograms. These would not only boost sales, but it would also be a small stepping stone to an even more advanced technological device, of which I have worked on for many months.

This vocation, however, has occupied almost all of my time, leaving me only a moment for school, which I do not attend often, anyway. That is of no importance; what is upsetting is that Mokuba, my only family, my only friend, my only companion, has been neglected by none other than me. I have no other alternative, I realize, and I have attempted to compensate for this by giving him whatever he desires. He has endured everything that I have, maybe even more at his young age, and it is my doing. Someday, I will make it up to my brother, someday?

Nevertheless, that day must wait. For now, I must create a life in order to enjoy one.

I glance at the spiky-haired kid sitting across of the room. I pretend to read a book while I eavesdrop on his conversation with a dimwit named Katsuya Jounouchi. I then hear three words that make my heart stop:

Blue Eyes White Dragon

Attara: Okay, sorry for taking so long for such a pipsqueak-like chapter, but it's the last one, so I couldn't really put much in here if I'm not going to be redundant. Well, I'm going to miss this story and all the reviews! This is my most successful fanfic (all my other ones pretty much suck, so I'm just going to stop writing those). Thank you, readers! You've always made me happy with all of the reviews you have given me. In fact, that's the only reason I bother going online to check my mailbox?

Well, love ya! REVIEW!


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